CVE-2026-72693 | BDVDB-2026-358022 Detail
Red HatRed Hat Enterprise Linux 10
Description#
`openvt -u` is intended to identify the owner of the current VT and then execute `login` as that user from a privileged context. In the documented `kbrequest`/init usage, the ownership test in `authenticate_user()` relies on `stat("/proc/<pid>/fd/0")`. `stat()` on `/proc/<pid>/fd/0` follows the symlink to the underlying TTY device node. As a result, `buf.st_uid` reflects the owner of the TTY node rather than the owner of the process holding the file descriptor. If the TTY owner returns to `root` or the getty owner after logout while an unprivileged process still has `fd 0` attached to that TTY, the check can incorrectly treat that process as belonging to the privileged console owner. Once that check succeeds, the `-u` path executes a passwordless login as the selected user. In the documented `kbrequest`/init deployment using `openvt -us`, this can result in passwordless `login -f root` on the spawned VT. This report establishes that privilege escalation path for that documented deployment; it does not claim equivalent reachability for deployments that do not use `openvt -u` from a privileged `kbrequest`/init path.
Impact#
Per CVSS v3.1: confidentiality impact high, integrity impact high, availability impact high. Attack vector: local.
Weaknesses#
- CWE-284 Improper Access Control
References#
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:41136
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:57597
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:57610
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:60440
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:66357
- https://access.redhat.com/errata/RHSA-2026:78951
- https://access.redhat.com/security/cve/CVE-2026-72693
- https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=2462115
Exploit#
No public exploit known
History#
- Version 1Record published in the CVE List.
- Version 2Most recent update recorded in the CVE List.